Mbappe Hits Historic Milestone But Real Madrid Crumble in Bitter Defeat to Real Betis

Just as Real Madrid appeared set to claim all three points, they were denied by a stoppage-time equalizer on the very last kick of the match, settling for a 1–1 draw against Real Betis on Friday night.

Vinicius Jr opened the scoring in the 17th minute after Real Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Valles fumbled a save directly into the Brazilian's path. The winger capitalized on the rebound and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner in what appeared to be the decisive goal.

Kylian Mbappé, marking his 100th appearance in a Real Madrid shirt, briefly believed he had doubled the lead in the second half, only for the offside flag to deny him what would have been a memorable milestone. A win would have softened the blow, but Álvaro Arbeloa's side allowed Héctor Bellerín to fire home a leveler in the 94th minute.

Real Madrid now trail Barcelona by eight points in what is already a decided La Liga title race, a deficit that could stretch to 11 if the Catalans overcome Getafe on Saturday. The 15-time European champions have managed just one win in their last six outings across all competitions.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Vinicius Jr scored his side's only goal of the evening and his second in as many games this week, showing signs of a return to form after struggling to find the net since coming back from the March international break.

The left-footed strike was his 18th goal contribution in 22 matches under Arbeloa. The Spanish manager has clearly unlocked the best version of Vinicius Jr, something his predecessor Xabi Alonso was unable to achieve during his brief spell in charge.

Doubts persist over the winger's on-field relationship—or absence of one—with Mbappé in attack, and whether the pair can guide Real Madrid to any silverware. Yet an equally pressing question is whether an incoming manager next season will be able to extract the same level of output from Vinicius Jr.

After all, Arbeloa is widely expected to be replaced by a high-profile appointment this summer as Los Blancos look set to end the season without a trophy. Breaking the bond between the 43-year-old and the club's talisman is a gamble that could see Vinicius Jr's form dip, much as it did following Carlo Ancelotti's departure from the Bernabéu.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Real Betis (4-3-3)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Andriy Lunin—7.5: Came to the rescue on several occasions to cover for some dreadful defensive moments, but was once again unable to keep a clean sheet.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—6.8: Delivered a number of impressive passes with his exceptional right foot, though none led to a goal. Consistently chasing opponents defensively, and a sharper attacker would have punished him.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—6.8: Struggled to anticipate threatening situations. A player of his experience should not be so easily caught out in transition. Found himself on the ground for the equalizer.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.2: Demonstrated his range of passing against a Real Betis side that gave him room to advance. Was caught for pace on a few worrying occasions, with his positioning leaving much to be desired.

LB: Ferland Mendy—5.9: Kept Antony quiet throughout the match until the winger dragged him down in the buildup to Real Betis's late equalizer.

CM: Jude Bellingham—7.5: Appeared overly eager to force the play. Let down by his first touch on several occasions. Offered little creativity beyond a handful of forward runs.

CM: Federico Valverde—7.4: His effort forced the mistake that set up Vinicius Jr's opener. Helped his team maintain control from a deeper role in the absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni.

CM: Thiago Pitarch—6.2: Another performance defined by potentially costly turnovers in his own half. Appeared uncertain in possession in the final third. Decision-making lacked sharpness throughout.

RW: Brahim Díaz—6.3: Made little impact beyond one threatening ball played into Mbappé's path in the first half. Never looked likely to threaten the goal.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—7.2: Impressed with his ball-carrying ability but failed to deliver when it counted. Had a goal ruled out for offside and wasted opportunities he would have converted earlier in the campaign. Withdrawn due to an injury concern.

LW: Vinicius Junior—8.2: Made no mistake when the goalkeeper spilled the ball into his path. Registered his 19th goal of the season. Pushed for a second but couldn't find it.

SUB: Eduardo Camavinga (73' for Pitarch)—6.8: Managed only seven completed passes in 17 minutes.

SUB: David Alaba (73' for Huijsen)—6.0: Exposed on the counter attack.

SUB: Gonzalo García (81' for Mbappé)—N/A

SUB: Manuel Ángel (82' for Díaz)—N/A

Subs not used: Javier Navarro (GK), Álvaro Carreras, Dai Carvajal, Diego Aguado, Fran García, Raúl Asencio, Jorge Cestero, Franco Mastantuono.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid's Late Collapse